United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste .
and Emergency Response
(5306W) ;
EPA530-F-00-013
June 2000
www. epa. gov/cpg
2000 Buy-Recycled Series
Paper Products
ien years ago, very little recycled-content
printing and writing paper existed. Now,
it's readily available, along with recycled-
content newsprint, paper towels, and corrugated
packaging—and at higher quality and more
competitive prices than ever before. That's in
part due to government initiatives since 1988,
when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) issued the Procurement Guideline for Paper and Paper Products
Containing Recovered Materials. The 1988 paper guideline's buy-recycled
requirements are now part of EPA's Comprehensive Procurement
Guideline (CPG).
To make it easier to buy recycled, EPA updates the CPG every 2 years.
Through the CPG, EPA designates items that must contain recycled
content when purchased by federal, state, and local agencies, or by
government contractors, using appropriated federal funds. Among these
items, EPA has designated many paper products. EPA's research shows
that the items designated in the CPG are of high quality, widely available,
and cost competitive with virgin products. EPA also issues iionregulatory
companion guidance—the Recovered Materials Advisory Notice
(RMAN)—that recommends levels of recycled content for these items. In
May 1995 EPA published the Paper Products RMAN, and in June 1998
EPA updated the recommendations for paper products in the Paper
Products RMAN II, which incorporates all current requirements for
recycled-content papers.
Although federal agencies have made great strides in buying recycled-
content paper, more can be done. After all, paper is still the most
predominant material in our trash. So, the next time you stock up on
paper for your printer, copy machine, cafeteria, or restrooms, buy
recycled. You'll help create a demand for the used office paper, old
newspapers, and boxes we recycle every day.
QyO Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
nonrecycled-content portion, however.
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Paper Buying Tips
To make it even easier to buy
recycled-content paper products,
EPA offers the following purchasing
tips for the various paper product
categories outlined in the RMAN.
Printing and writing papers comprise one
of the largest categories of paper and paper
products. Examples include stationery,
computer printout paper, note pads, copier
paper, and offset paper. Printing and
writing papers can be uncoated or coated.
When buying printing and writing
paper, remember to:
• Work with your printer. Different papers
exhibit differences in performance and
printability. Some printers might first
want to test certain papers with a
particular ink. Printers also, can help you
select papers based on how; they will be
used (i.e., whether they will be folded,
die-cut, or made into self-mailers).
• Work with your graphic designer. Some
papers are better than others for certain
design needs. Make sure bpth the
designer and printer agree that the paper
you choose will meet your expectations.
• Consider the environmental
ramifications of your purchasing
decisions. Papers with certain
characteristics, such as deep colors,
coatings, or groundwood content, might
not be recyclable in your existing office
paper recycling program or might
require changes to the program.
Consider the effects of your paper
purchases before deciding to purchase a
specific paper.
Newsprint is a type of groundwood paper
generally used to print newspapers.
Recycled-content newsprint is usually
manufactured from fiber recovered from old
newspapers and magazines. The federal
government ,uses newsprint for printing the
Federal Register, Congressional Record, and
other publications.
When purchasing newsprint, consider
these helpful hints:
• Pay attention to newsprint's basis
weight. Basis weight is the weight in
pounds of a ream of paper cut to a
specified-size. Different weights hold up
better in different presses. Recycle,d-
content newsprint ranging from 25 to 32
pounds generally performs well. The
U.S. Government Printing Office
specifies 28 pound recycled-content
newsprint.
• Consider your requirements for the
newsprint you're baying. Recycled-
• content newsprint manufacturers .are
making products that meet their clients'
performance requirements (e.g., print-
l ability, brightness, cleanliness, and
opacity).
• Determine whether newsprint is
recyclable in your existing recycling
program.: Some office paper recycling
programs do not accept groundwood
papers such as newsprint; find out
whether yours does before you buy
newsprint.
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Sanitary tissue products include
bathroom and facial tissue, paper towels,
napkins, and general-purpose industrial
wipers. When purchasing these products
remember these tips:
• Avoid misconceptions about softness,
absorbency, and strength. Some
recycled-content sanitary tissue
products are softer, stronger, and more
absorbent than others. Consider your
aesthetic and functional requirements
for tissue products before purchasing a
specific product.
• Remember to review your janitorial
supply contracts because commercial
tissue products are often purchased
through contractors. Make sure your
supply contracts specify recycled-
content, not virgin, products.
• When changing brands, consider other
factors that could influence your
purchasing decision. When, switching
from sheet to roll paper towels, for
example, you might incur costs to
replace dispensers or fixtures if such
costs are not borne by the supplier.
Paperboard and packaging is a broad
category of paper products that includes
corrugated containers, folding cartons,
book and report covers, mailing tubes,
video cassette boxes, paper bags, and
wrapping paper. They can'be
manufactured with a wide variety of
recovered fibers including old
newspapers, old corrugated containers,
mixed papers, and sorted white office
paper. In fact, paperboard mills use more
recovered fiber than any other segment of
the paper industry.
When purchasing recycled-content
paperboard and packaging; consider
these tips:
• Remember, you can print on recycled
boxes, not just on virgin, bleached boxes.
• Be aware that you can use recycled
boxes in food applications and still
meet Food and Drug Administration
requirements.
etermine
Ketlier your
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neludes
rewsprint and
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packaging.
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Information Available from EPA
" / 'iV This fact sheet and the following publications on
buying recycled-cpntent products are available or
can be accessed in electronic format on the
Internet at . Use Internet
e-mail to order paper copies of documents.
Include the requestor's name and mailing address on all orders.
Address e-mail to: rcra-docket@epamail.epa.gov.
Paper copies also may be ordered by calling the RCRA Hotline.
Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial 703
412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323 (hearing impaired). Long-
distance callers may call 800 424-9346 or TDD 800 553-7672.
The RCRA Hotline operates weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m.. e.s.t.
•0» ERA Expands Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
(CPG) (EPA530-F-00-017). This fact sheet provides general
information about the CPG and the development of
affirmative procurement programs.
« Federal Register (FR) notices promulgating CPG I (60 FR
21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and RMAN I (60 FR 21386/EPA530-
Z-95-007), May 1,1995, and the Paper Products RMAN (60
FR 2698&'EPAS30-Z-96-005), May 29, 1996. FR notices
promulgating CPG II (62 FR 60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and
RMAN II (62 FR 60975/EPA530-Z-97-010), November 13,
1997. and the Paper Products RMAN II (63 FR 31214), June 8,
1998, FR notices promulgating CPG III (65 FR 3070) and
RMAN III (65 FR 3082), January 19, 2000.
<• A Study of State and Local Government Procurement
Practices that Consider Environmental Performance of
Goods and Services (EPA742-R-96-007). This report
provides Important program elements and case studies of
state and county agencies purchasing environmentally
Preferable products and services. For more information on
PA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program,
contact the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at
401 M Street, SW. (7409), Washington, DC 20460. Phone:
202 260-1023. Fax: 202 260-4659. Visit the EPP Web site at
.
Mills, Converters, and Distributors of Printing and Writing
Paper Containing Postconsumer Recovered Fiber
(EPA530-R-99-006).
M//s That Produce Newsprint Containing Postconsumer
Recovered Paper (EPA530-B-99-013).
Mills That Produce Tissue Products Containing Recovered
Paper (EPA530-B-99-OT2).
Other Sources of Information
<• U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA). GSA's Environmental Products Guide
contains more than 1,500 paper and paper
products containing recovered materials. For a
copy of the guide, contact GSA, Centralized
Mailing List Service (7CPNL), 401 West Felix Street, P.O. Box
6477, Fort Worth, TX 76115. Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817
334-5227.
* U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO provides a
variety of recycled-cpntent printing papers to federal agencies.
To view federal printing paper specifications see the GPO Web
site at . For more information about papers available from
GPO, contact Doris Reynolds, Printing Specialist, U.S.;GPO,
Paper and Materials Control Section, Stop POL, North Capitol
and H Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20401. Phone: 202 512-
0241.
* The Official Recycled Products Gu/cfaThis directory lists more
than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled-content
products. For more information, contact the Recycling Data
Management Corp., P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669.
Phone: 800 267-0707. ;
* Recycling at Work Campaign. The Recycling at Work
Campaign has published several guidebooks on setting up and
promoting office buy-recycled and recycling programs. For
more information, contact Geri Powell of the Recycling at Work
Campaign, 1620 Eye Street, NW., Sixth Floor, Washington, DC
20006. Phone: 202 293-/330 Ext. 774. Fax: 202 429-0422.
In addition, contact your state solid waste agency for
information about local and regional businesses that
produce or distribute recycled-content paper products.
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